President of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Ambassador Nguyễn Phương Nga. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI — People-to-people diplomacy will focus on activities in service of national socio-economic development in 2023, President of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Ambassador Nguyễn Phương Nga has said.

The Party and the State consider 2023 an important year to implement the 2021-2025 socio-economic development plan and the resolution adopted at the 13th National Party Congress, Nga said in a recent interview with the press.

She emphasised people-to-people diplomacy’s mission and pioneer role in creating and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, mobilising external resources for national development, and raising the country’s position and reputation in the international arena.

According to the ambassador, priority will be given to promoting relations of people-to-people diplomacy and making it more intensive, extensive, substantive and effective.

2023 also sees various celebrations of diplomatic ties with foreign countries, which will be an opportunity for Việt Nam to tighten its friendship with people worldwide and step up cooperation, thus mobilising resources for national socio-economic recovery and development post-COVID-19, she said.

Reviewing achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in 2022, Nga said the sector had fulfilled most of its major tasks, focusing on relations with neighbouring countries, important partners and traditional friends.

VUFO directly joined and chaired many bilaterally and multilaterally activities, notably those within the framework of the Việt Nam-Laos, Laos-Việt Nam Solidarity and Friendship Year and the Việt Nam-Cambodia Friendship Year, helping consolidate and enhance relations with the two neighbours, she continued.

The ambassador said that multilaterally, Việt Nam successfully hosted the 22nd Assembly of the World Peace Council for the first time, reflecting the country’s active and responsible contributions to the council and global peace movements at large.

Nga also spoke of celebrating diplomatic ties with countries like India, Austria and the Republic of Korea (RoK).

A highlight of people-to-people diplomacy in the year was the connectivity between centrally-run agencies and localities, Nga said, explaining that friendship, peace and solidarity activities were organised at both central and local levels.

With the issuance of the Government’s Decree 58/2022/NĐ-CP on the registration and management of activities of foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the year, VUFO worked hard to inform the organisations of Việt Nam’s relevant guidelines, policies and legal framework promptly, facilitating their operations in the country.

She said that thanks to such efforts, donations from foreign NGOs to Việt Nam still exceeded US$200 million in 2022 despite the external resource scarcity.

Asked about lessons drawn in 2022, Nga said people-to-people diplomacy must be carried out harmoniously for the country's interest and humankind's progress, equality and sustainable development.

She also stressed the need to closely combine people-to-people diplomacy with other pillars of external relations, such as Party and State diplomacy, and pay more attention to personnel training. — VNS